Bluesky National Tree Map Helps UK Authority Plan Ground Maintenance

Leicestershire, UK, 15 May 2017 – English local authority Daventry District Council is using a detailed 3D map of trees from Bluesky to prepare for a new grounds maintenance contract. The National Tree Map (NTM) data, which identifies the location, height and canopy cover of more than 280 million trees nationwide, is being used within Daventry Council’s GIS, enabling officers to identify all trees that fall within areas that will be the subject of a new grounds maintenance contract.

As part of a major restructure of environmental services, the South Midlands based council recently approved in principle a joint venture with Norse Commercial Services to deliver a range of environmental services when its current agreement with Amey Enterprise ends in 2018. Norse will deliver street cleaning and grass cutting for the town of Daventry, while some Parish Councils will take on litter picking and the maintenance of closed churchyards.

Used alongside Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA) datasets and other map layers, including the Council’s land and property datasets, planning constraints and highways information, the Bluesky tree data is displayed on the Council’s GIS – MapInfo and QGIS.

“In order to prepare for the proposed joint venture, we need to have an accurate and up to date understanding of the area that will fall under the new contract and its physical make up,” commented Simon Hume, GIS Officer at Daventry District Council. “The Bluesky map has proved extremely valuable during this preparation and research stage, as we now know how many trees will be subject to the new contract and we have even been able to identify trees that may require additional assessment or attention based on their perimeter and area measurements.”

In addition to the use of the Bluesky NTM dataset to support the preparation and implementation of new grounds maintenance contracts, other applications will include use by officers in Planning Policy, who are currently reviewing the Authority’s Local Plan Policies and Development Control, including the Conservation Team who deal with all Planning Applications and maintain the Council’s Planning Constraints datasets. The Council’s Land and Property Team, who maintain the Authority’s land terrier data, will also make use of the datasets to inform ongoing work.

The Bluesky National Tree Map has been created using innovative algorithms and image processing techniques in combination with the most up to date and detailed aerial photography and height data in the UK. A team of experienced professionals then completed an exhaustive QA process to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data. In addition to the three vector map layers; Crown Polygons, Idealised Crowns and Height Points, the Bluesky National Tree Map also includes an attribute table including unique identification for each crown feature, height attributes and area calculations. The data is available in a range of GIS ready formats with flexible annual licencing.

Applications of the Bluesky National Tree Map include subsidence risk assessment by insurance companies, propagation modelling for telecommunication infrastructure planning, network resilience assessment for utility companies and carbon reduction planning for environmental mitigation projects. Existing users of the data are already reporting significant improvements in day to day planning and operational efficiency achieved through the use of Bluesky National Tree Map data.

Bluesky National Tree Map is currently available for England and Wales with work already underway to create coverage for Scotland.

Bluesky is a specialist in aerial survey including aerial photography, LiDAR and thermal data, using the very latest survey technology, including two UltraCam Eagles and a Teledyne Optech Galaxy LiDAR system integrated with a PhaseOne camera and thermal sensor. An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies.

Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography and maintains national “off the shelf” coverage of aerial photography, DTM and DSM through an ongoing three-year update programme. By purchasing a world first sensor for the simultaneous capture of LiDAR, Thermal and Aerial Photography data, Bluesky is in the enviable position of being able to provide customers with unique and cost effective solutions.

Bluesky is leading the way in developing innovative solutions for environmental applications, including the UK’s first National Tree Map (NTM), solar mapping and citywide ‘heat loss’ maps and is currently developing noise and air quality mapping products. www.bluesky-world.com